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MUST READ: Six Reasons You Shouldn’t Flush After You Pee

Whenever we feel the need to pee, we run to the nearest toilet available as an automatic response to the call of nature and give ourselves the relief we wanted.

But after having the satisfaction we longed for, there is this last thing that we commonly do as a habit but we should now avoid.To flush or not to flush? Here are six reasons why you should now stop flushing the toilet after you pee:

1. It's bad for the environmentFresh water is a valuable resource that is becoming more scarce every day. Now is the time to start being a lot less wasteful with this precious resource and refraining from unnecessary flushing is a good start. Going for a pee five or six times a day adds up if you flush every time — that's about 18 to 20 gallons of water just to avoid a yellow tint in your toilet bowl! Definitely something to think about.2. Flushing spreads germsMost people find the idea of not flushing disgusting. But the reality is: flushing the toilet can actually spread more germs than not flushing. When the water starts cascading into the toilet bowl some of it sprays out onto the bathroom floor. You may not see it, but it's there. This water contains urine and fecal bacteria. By not flushing, we keep those germs and bacteria in the bowl where they belong.

3. It disrupts your sleepIf you're a light sleeper, chances are you have to get up more often during the night to go for a pee. This may be annoying but it's nothing to worry about. You can make these nightly trips to the bathroom less disruptive by not flushing because the noise caused by the flush can wake you up even more and make it hard to get back to sleep. It could also wake up others in your household and leave you on the receiving end of the evil eye the next morning at the breakfast table.4. It's expensiveWater costs money and most conventional toilets use over three gallons of water per flush. Try skipping a few flushes and you'll notice the difference on your next water bill. If money is tight, this is one way to cut down on household costs.

5. Urine is actually really cleanPee is not totally sterile, but it's a safe bet that it's a lot cleaner than your saliva. Letting it mellow in the bowl is not going to do your toilet any harm.6. It affects the water pressure and temperatureIt's happened to all of us at some point. You're enjoying a nice warm shower and then suddenly the cold water disappears and you get scalded! Somebody obviously used the guest bathroom and didn't know (or didn't care) that someone was in the shower. Fortunately most modern plumbing systems are designed to avoid this problem. But still, why run the risk, especially if you can save some water and money in the process?